Sony · Cyber-shot
Cyber-shot DSC-P92
A 5.1-megapixel compact camera with a 39–117 mm-equivalent zoom, VGA movies with sound and rechargeable AA batteries.
- Type
- Compact
- Sensor
- 1/1.8-type
- Megapixels
- 5.09
- Lens
- 39–117 mm equivalent
- Video
- 640 × 480 at 16 fps
- Body weight
- 198.5 g
What reviewers say
Both tests found good detail and metering for straightforward automatic photography. ePHOTOzine liked the solid construction and simple controls but criticised occasionally slow startup, the small screen and limited manual control. Pixinfo found focusing slower in dim light and visible noise by ISO 200, with limited close-up coverage.
From ephotozine.com and pixinfo.com
Product links
Specifications
Report a wrong or missing specImage and sensor
- Camera type
- Compact
- Sensor format
- 1/1.8-type
- Sensor type
- Super HAD CCD
- Effective resolution
- 5.09 MP
- Largest image
- 2592 × 1944
- RAW recording
- No
- Standard ISO range
- 100–400
- Sensor detail
- 1/1.8-type primary-colour Super HAD CCD; exact operating instructions give approximately 5.255 million total and 5.09 million effective photosites. Sony launch rounds these to 5.3 and 5.1 MP
- Image formats
- JPEG Exif 2.2 stills with Fine/Standard compression; GIF Clip Motion and MPEG-1 movies or mono voice-with-still recording. No RAW recording
- ISO detail
- Auto or manually selected ISO 100, 200 or 400
- Image processor
- 14-bit DXP A/D conversion; Clear Colour NR, Clear Luminance NR and NR Slow Shutter processing
Lens and shooting
- Built-in lens
- 39–117 mm equivalent
- Maximum aperture
- f/2.8–5.6
- Optical zoom
- 3×
- Lens detail
- Physical focal length 8–24 mm, equivalent to 39–117 mm, F2.8–5.6 in the exact Sony launch and manual. Normal autofocus from 50 cm wide or 60 cm tele; Macro from 10 cm wide or 60 cm tele. Lens retracts and its automatic cover closes when powered off. Smart Zoom crops at lower image sizes, up to 12× total at VGA; no Smart Zoom at maximum 5.0M or 4.5M (3:2) size
- Autofocus
- Multi AF or centre AF with AF-assist illuminator; preset distances 0.5, 1, 3, 7 m and infinity, not continuous manual focusing
- Shutter
- Automatic 2–1/2000 second in the exact Sony Japan P92 table; no manual shutter selection. Contemporary secondary tables state a 1/1000-second limit; maker table retained
- Burst detail
- Burst 3 captures three full-size images with an approximately 0.5-second interval in the exact manual; brief three-shot mode, not an unrestricted continuous rate. Multi Burst stores sixteen subframes in one 1.2M composite with 1/30, 1/15 or 1/7.5-second intervals. Maker lists 1.6 seconds between maximum-size single shots and 2.3-second startup, distinct from burst rate
- Flash
- Built-in Auto, forced, off and slow-sync flash with red-eye reduction and daylight fill. ISO Auto recommended distance 0.5–3.8 m wide or 0.6–2.5 m tele in the exact manual
- Exposure controls
- Automatic and Program exposure with ±2 EV in 1/3 EV steps, multi-pattern/spot metering, Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Landscape, Snow and Beach scenes; no aperture/shutter priority or manual exposure
Video
- Highest video resolution
- 640 × 480 at 16 fps
- Video detail
- MPEG-1 VX 640×480 at 16 fps with mono sound in Sony US launch specifications reproduced by DPReview. Mail 160×112 mode is separate. Clip length limited by card capacity; zoom cannot change during recording
- Audio
- Built-in electret condenser microphone and dynamic speaker. Mono movie sound; still-image voice memo for five seconds after a tap or up to 40 seconds while holding the shutter
Screen and viewfinder
- Viewfinder
- Optical
- Screen size
- 1.5″
- Screen dots
- 123,200
- Touchscreen
- No
- Tilting screen
- No
- Display detail
- Fixed 1.5-type TFT with 123,200 colour-subpixel dots (560×220); these are not image pixels
- Viewfinder detail
- Optical zoom finder; Smart Zoom cropping and Macro framing differ from finder image, so maker directs Macro use to LCD
Connections and design
- Body weight
- 198.5 g
- Release detail
- Sony Japan announced planned availability on 16 May 2003. Exact ePHOTOzine test on 11 August and Pixinfo test on 14 August describe the sold camera and contemporary prices, confirming actual sale in 2003; earliest actual retail month remains unresolved, so year precision retained. No explicit direct predecessor relationship established
- Recording media
- Memory Stick and Memory Stick PRO; 16 MB Memory Stick supplied. Sony launch and manual cover PRO through 1 GB, excluding high-speed PRO transfer. Duo requires its adaptor
- Ports
- USB mini-B with mass-storage or PTP connection, mono A/V OUT minijack with selectable NTSC/PAL, DC IN for optional AC-LS5. Sony US launch calls USB 2.0 compatibility; ePHOTOzine found no transfer-speed improvement using a USB 2.0 connection, so Hi-Speed performance is not established
- Battery life detail
- Two supplied NH-AA-DA Ni-MH AA cells; R6 alkaline AA also supported. Exact manual average-use test at 25°C and Fine compression: approximately 270 images/135 minutes with LCD on or 450 images/225 minutes off, one image every 30 seconds, alternating zoom ends, flash every second image and restart every ten; not labelled CIPA. Sony alkaline comparison: 50 images/25 minutes on or 110 images/55 minutes off. Continuous 160×112 movies approximately 160 minutes on or 210 off; manual 5,400 images/270 minutes is playback, not shooting
- Charging
- Supplied external BC-CS2A/CS2B charger: approximately six hours for depleted supplied Ni-MH cells at 25°C. Optional BC-CSQ2 quick charger approximately 2.5 hours for two cells or five hours for four; these are not standard charger times
- Dimensions
- 119.5×57.7×36.8 mm width×height×depth, excluding protruding portions in the exact manual
- Weight detail
- Approximately 198.5 g body only in the Sony Japan launch; approximately 260.5 g with two batteries, Memory Stick and wrist strap in the exact manual
- In the box
- Two rechargeable AA Ni-MH cells, battery case, BC-CS2A/CS2B charger and mains lead, 16 MB Memory Stick, USB and mono A/V cables, wrist strap, software CD and operating instructions; AC-LS5 optional
Pros and cons
Pros
- 3× optical zoom with 10 cm wide-angle Macro mode
- VGA movies with mono sound
- Supplied rechargeable AA batteries and external charger
Cons
- Fixed 1.5-inch screen
- No RAW or manual exposure
- Optical zoom cannot change during movie recording
Closest rivals
Model | Type | Sensor | Megapixels | Lens | Video | Body weight | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compact | 1/1.8-type | 5 | 38–114 mm equivalent | 640 × 480 at 16.6 fps | 172 g | 2003 | |
| Compact | 1/1.8-type | 5.1 | 34–136 mm equivalent | 640 × 480 at 17 fps | 270 g | May 2003 | |
| Compact | 1/1.8-type | 5.1 | 38–114 mm equivalent | 640 × 480 at 30 fps | 147 g | 2004 |
Sources
- sony.jp/CorporateCruise/Press/200303/03-0313
- sony.jp/cyber-shot/emdown/data/P92_opening.pdf
- sony.co.uk/electronics/support/compact-cameras-dsc-p-series/dsc-p92
- dpreview.com/articles/4941562559/sonyp32p52p72p92
- ephotozine.com/article/sony-cybershot-dsc-p92-4530
- pixinfo.com/cikkek/roviden-sony-dsc-p92
Photo: Sony Japan exact DSC-P92 launch press photograph; complete supplied canvas retained
